


The Tale of Two Canines--Or When Dwalin Met Ori

by BrightStarling



Series: The Tale of Two Canines [1]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Corgi!Bilbo, Fluff, Husky!Thorin, M/M, well because i like dogs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-19
Updated: 2015-09-09
Packaged: 2018-04-05 03:24:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 16,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4163871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrightStarling/pseuds/BrightStarling
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thorin was smitten with Bilbo-- that Dwalin most definitely could tell.<br/>But he didn't realize his own trouble until the Corgi's owner showed up with a shy smile.</p><p>Oh no, this is not going to be good at all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I came across this picture with Thorin as a Husky (or was it a wolf??) and Bilbo a Corgi, so um, this happened.  
> English is not my first language, but well, my first fan fic ever!!  
> Please tell me what you think because this is my first so it's kind of important to me *wave shyly*

"Yes, we are going to play a few rounds of fetch before you can go back being your miserable self, whether you like it or not,"grunted Dwalin, trying to match Thorin's regal glare. He never thought about outglaring the wolf-like Husky , but he should at least not waver under the mental assault of his very own dog,"Or you will be going on a diet."  


Thorin just growled and flattened his ears with a venemous look.  


Such a drama queen. Dwalin rolled his eyes as the canine trotted grudgingly after the flying stick.  


Sometimes(especially during moments like this), the man would wonder what exactly went wrong with his way of raising Thorin. He was more than grateful when his brother brought him an absolutely adorable pup right after he got discharged from the army-- a leg wound which would leave him limping till the end of his days. The tiny furball would occasionally squirm in its makeshift shelter of a cardboard box and make the cutest whimping noise ever. The veteran had no idea how exactly time had left him with this full-sized thankless bastard that sleeps only in the bed in the guestroom.  


Dwalin only snapped out of his mournful thoughts in time to see the said Husky dog dashing straight across the park. The speed was impressive, really, had it not been accompanied with a menacing scowl aimed at a hyped up little ball of fluff on the other side. The man mentally winced as a wolfish snout got way too close to the other dog's neck to his comfort. He nearly face-palmed himself when the smaller canine held out the stick joyously through his teeth.  


Corgis must have remarkably thick skulls. The veteran gritted his teeth as he dragged his leg to cover up the painfully long distance. Hopefully he would be able to salvage the little thing before Thorin burns a hole through it with his majestic glare. Or some other nastier affairs concerning teeth which he determinedly refused to think about.  


But no, other than shrinking away wincing, the Corgi had other ideas. It took a step forward and happily touched nose with the Husky-shaped wall of muscle.  


Thorin just froze.  


Dwalin was torn between sighing in relief and laughing out loud, and mind you, he had a very good reason doing so. No dog touches nose with Thorin. Apparently bitch faces are undesirable in both human and canine society. However, after some very long moments of hesitation, the larger dog eventually returned the action with no small amount of unsurness and utter confusion. He didn't even remember to growl at his (supposed) owner when the man smirked.  


"Oh, Bilbo here you are. Seems that you have made a new friend."A gentle-looking young man smiled shyly over an armful of wriggling Corgi at the veteran,"Ori Rison, at your service."  


If Dwalin happened to have gawked a bit it was nobody's business but his own. At least he had the grace to lower his stare. A little.  


Really, Thorin is not being subtle.  


So just to be a role model for his completely-lost Husky, the veteran just muttered his greetings in the most neutral way he could muster. Even though Thorin was probably too busy ogling at Bilbo the Corgi to give a damn.  


But then Ori's smile grew wider and Dwalin was suddenly aware of his dimples and how warm the younger man's hazel eyes looked under the sun and how odd it was for one to wear fingerless gloves on such fine weather yet how nicely they suited Ori--  


Oh no, this is not good at all.  



	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My finals are coming up so things are hectic these days--but I'll post when I can!  
> Please tell me what you think? :-)

    Dogs must have six senses. Because that had to be why Dwalin happened to have found Ori and Bilbo basking in the early-afternoon sun at the park after Thorin kept on slamming him against the door in a none-too-gentle way.

    Ori did a cheerful wave at their direction and Bilbo wagged his tail a bit. Dwalin suddenly felt somewhat better about limping as Thorin was apparently torn between cantering for the speed and striding for the majesticness. The Husky eventually settled for a trot when Bilbo leapt down from his owner's lap to meet him halfway.  

    That's when the veteran realized what's different about Bilbo and other Corgi dogs: other than a nub, Bilbo actually has a full-lenghed tail.  But then after all, _Ori_ is Bilbo's owner.  He probably prefer Bilbo to keep his tail rather than to have it docked.  The idea made something inside the man feel warm.  He can't imagine a tailess Thorin either.

    On second thought, he probably can.   _That_ would surely make quite a sight.  He smirked.

    Dwalin sat down on the empty seat beside the younger man. Ori looked content watching Bilbo play and Thorin learning how to act like a normal dog would. The veteran was more than amused when Thorin actually buried his nose under a bunch of daisies under the encouragement of the Corgi. He had no idea what the two were doing. Yet when the Husky retrieved his snout Bilbo looked rather pleased and Thorin seemed to be awkwardly proud.

    "I've never seen you around," Dwalin said, suddenly realized how gruff he must sound and mentally smacked himself.

    But Ori didn't seem to mind,"Hmm? Oh, we used to go to another park and we haven't been going out often recently. In fact, Bilbo was--"

    The two were interrupted by the said Corgi's frantic barking. Ori's eyes widened at what he saw as he rushed toward Bilbo who had started whining and was clearly in distress. Dwalin didn't figure out what was going on until he heard an unnerving "gollum, gollum," noise approach.

    It was hairless. The enormous eyes that should have passed as cute were _malicious_. Well, he was never a great fan of cats but Dwalin was pretty sure that no feline should look like _that_. The cat was about Bilbo's size yet its long limbs gave the impression of something bigger, possibly a giant spider. The bizarre sound was now obviously coming out from the creature's throat, and was getting louder with a wild excitement upon seeing Bilbo.

    Then all hell broke loose.

    Ori tried to scoop the smaller dog into his arms, but the Corgi was under a panic attack and bolted for the opposite direction. The cat slid between the younger man's leg when he attempted to grab it instead, surprisingly agile as it went after Bilbo. Ori yelped and would have lost his balance had Dwalin not caught him from behind. The two turned only in time to see the cat close up the distance between itself and Bilbo with a victious leapt-- Ori gasped and Dwalin scowled-- when all of a sudden a muscular figure knocked it onto the ground. Thorin bared his teeth but the thing just hissed back challengingly.

    And yet from the other side of the park came a tiny wail. The Husky spun around immediately, while the cat took its chance slipping away. Those round, pale eyes, however, followed along the direction of the noise and did not disappear until the veteran flailed his arms threateningly.

    Bilbo was shuddering under some bushes when they found him, tucking himself deep in the foliage. When the larger dog finally coaxed him out of his hiding place, it was after a fairly long period of nose touching(since that's the only part of Thorin that would fit under the bushes) and an abundance of soft noises which Dwalin never thought the Husky capable of making. After the Corgi finally showed himself, he was determined to snuggle under Ori's hand-knitted vest, save only the tip of his nose which peeked out from the collar for a bit of air. Ori looked as if he were pregnant with a lump on his front and would stumble on Thorin every few steps since the larger dog refused to leave Bilbo's side. Things were even more difficult since the younger man had problem seeing what's under his feet.

    "Perhaps......perhaps you would like to come over and have tea? You and Thorin, I mean. I have a batch of cookies sitting on the counter, and I'm sure they have cooled down by now,"Ori offered shyly between muttering soft words at the shivering ball resting on his belly.

    The veteran embarrasedly found out that they have apparently followed the younger man all the way to his place,"I don't wish to intrude--" but Ori cut him off before he could finish the sentence. "No, you won't, really. And Bilbo can use some company, if you don't mind,"said Ori, his eyes darting hopefully between Thorin and Dwalin.

    The bulge on Ori's stomach made a pathetic whining noise.

    And with that all was settled.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally done with the finals!!
> 
> So a slightly longer chapter this time :-)
> 
> Please tell me what you think?

    With a plate of peanut butter cookies balanced on his lap, Dwalin watched as Bilbo curled himself into a tiny ball beside Thorin. The Husky was at first hesitant but eventually leaned into the Corgi (which was fairly reasonable since not even Dwalin could recall Thorin cuddling with anything), his head resting on his front paws. Sleep found them and in a short time all was quiet save the slight snoring of the duo. Ori was back with a mug in each hand as he settled down on the couch opposite to the veteran. The two sipped their tea in companiable silence. Even the bigger man's expression softened when the Corgi shuffled uneasily in his sleep, only to have a bushy tail unconsciously pressed to his side.

 

 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

    Ori quickly dropped the tea bags into the mugs--he would've used the kettle("Because,"said one of his brother, somewhere back in Ori's mind,"that is how proper tea is made"). But it would be cruel to wake Thorin and Bilbo. Tea bags would have to suffice. He could just hope that the cookies would make make up for it and that Master Dwalin wouldn't mind.

    Speaking of Master Dwalin.

    Ori was very surprised by the level of his own self restraint, otherwise the entire building would probably be ringing with his no-longer-internal screaming and someone in suspicion of murder would probably call the police. Or even worse, his mother hen of a brother, Dori.

    You don't invite somebody you've only met twice home for tea-- well, you just don't.

    What will his brother say? Should Dori be here, he'd probably be cracking his knuckles purposefully and speaking in the most polite yet alarming manner. During his toddler years, Ori remember somebody unwelcomed trying to invite himself into the house. He was supposed to be napping at the time but muffled cries and yelps made it impossible to do so. Everyone thought Ori too young to remember such things but that was obviously not the case.

    He clearly remembered the poor bloke's swollen eye and broken nose well enough

    But Ori told no one. It was for everybody's best interests.

   

    However jittery Ori felt while making tea, the feeling melt away when he stepped into the living room. It was hard to keep his lips from quirking seeing the bear-like man balancing the plate of cookies on his knees precariously. And judging from his expression, Dwalin was thoroughly enjoying himself. Ori smiled.

    The late afternoon glow spilt in lazily from the open window. For a moment they just sat on the couch holding onto their mugs. The scent of chamomile tea filled the air with a sense of calamity.

    "Sorry for......you know. I didn't mean to cause you so much trouble. "Finally the younger of the two raised his head from his beverage, looking rather guilty even though he was not to be blamed,"Do you remember I said that Bilbo and I used to go to another park?"

    As if hearing Ori call his name, the Corgi chose the perfect timing to do a running motion wiggling his feet in his dream before going still again. Thorin shifted, being under the attack of tiny paws and all, before tugging the smaller dog even closer to himself. Dwalin nodded, but only half-mindedly, as he continued observing the sleeping ones. Those two are impossible. (Or impossibly sweet, should Dwalin be perfectly honest with himself, which is just not happening.)

    "Well, that was when Bilbo met that thing. It wasn't always like this, and they used to have a good time together. I know you won't believe it but that cat was actually pretty sweet, at the other park. But then it started following Bilbo literally everywhere, tried to tail him home, even. Bilbo wasn't too happy about that and--"

    That did the trick as Dwalin's attention immediately snapped back to the shorter man,"Bilbo actually played with that bloody cat?". The man once again thought of those creepy blue eyes. Hell, they send chills down his spine and he was a soldier. He's been to war.

    The words must have came out harsher than intended because even though Ori didn't sound indignant, he definitely sounded defensive,"Like I said, I am sorry for dragging you and Thorin into the mess, but Bilbo was just being his friendly self and he's nice to just anybody. You can't blame him for being nice, can you?"

    Now that's definitely not what Dwalin was aiming for. It's just this feeling...this feeling which he couldn't quite put a name on that comes up whenever he looks at tiny furry things( a.k.a Bilbo, ugh ). Had it been Thorin and the cat this would've ended in a totally different manner. The only problem the veteran would have to worry about was probably when animal cruelty protestors come to his door voicing concerns on cat abuse. But Bilbo was no Husky. He was small and sweet and barely reached Dwalin's knees when he stands on his hind legs to greet the man. No, the Corgi deserved so much better than being chased around by some blasted rabid creature.

    The bigger man desperately tried to explain his thoughts to the other. He hoped that Ori would understand even though there is a reason why his brother became a diplomat while Dwalin joined the army.

    Then all of a sudden , Dwalin was facing one of the most tender expressions he's ever seen. It was a bit like the way the younger man looked at Bilbo, yet also something different, something the veteran couldn't quite put his hand on. He tried to focus on the emotion but things are relatively difficult when his mind was constantly distracted by the small quirk Ori's lips have taken on. Confound it all. Now Dwalin would just allow himself to indulge in that cute smile of Ori 's and let out the breath the man didn't realize that he was holding until now.

    "Sorry,"the younger man said, at last, "I shouldn't have raised my voice. That was silly and uncalled for."

    "But as I was saying, Bilbo and the cat used to be on good terms until Bilbo tried to shoo it away one day. That was when everything went wrong."He whispered, taking of his gloves. The veteran's eyes rounded comically as some long pale scratch marks on the back of Ori's hand came into sight. "There were scratches on the window pane. Half eaten rats left outside the building. Dead pigeons on the window pane. And one evening when I was back I found Bilbo squirming under the bed--he does that, you know, when he is frightened or when somebody mentions the vet. It really was a terrifying experience to see those eyes peering through the curtains."said Ori, chuckling humourlessly. The smile that took place slightly earlier was growing faint and tired. However when Dwalin wasn't quite sure about what to say, a bunch of cream-colored was woken from his nap and was determined to save the day, or to save his owner from downcast. Ori was ambushed by a bouncing Corgi as the dog continuously pressed wet kisses to his face. He did look much happier ,though, as he continued to finish the tale,"The acts did stop eventually, but it was after a painfully long two months and at some point Bilbo wouldn't let me out of his sight. I'm just glad that it was all over."

    "But after today--"

     Ori confirmed the older man's thought with a slight nod (at the same time carefully avoiding hitting Bilbo with his chin). However the weariness did no return. The smaller man's expression was, in fact, that of great determination and fierce protectiveness. Ori suddenly looked stronger, stronger and bigger than the gentle young man he was, his voice calm yet resolved,"I know. But I will not let it hurt Bilbo, not anymore."

    Honestly Dwalin had no idea what hit him. Maybe it was the firmness in Ori's voice or the way he was holding Bilbo like he was the most precious thing on earth. Or maybe it was just Ori. When he dumbly found himself handing over a scrunched up piece of paper with his number on it, Dwalin didn't even have time to moan about his void of social grace. Not that he moans, but the point still stands. And now he's rambling in his mind. Great. Just perfect.

    But then Ori smiled, the same shy one Dwalin remembered seeing during their first encounter in the park.

    Thorin decided that this was the right time to rest his belly on his owner's feet, putting his entire weight on them as he lazily watched Bilbo interact with Ori through half-lidded eyes.

    Not like the veteran really cared anyway. He was too busy ogling to give a damn.

    


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do NOT drink tea before bed if you can't handle the caffeine.
> 
> I've learnt that in the hard way.
> 
> Because getting up to type on your phone at three in the morning after rolling around in your bed for hours is NOT FUN.
> 
> But anyway here you go. Please tell me what you think?

    Dwalin had to admit, it was pretty funny to see Thorin tailing behind Bilbo like a duckling. Learning how to be a normal dog with a normal-sized ego, that is. Ori giggled when a butterfly bravely landed on the Husky's nose. What's worse, with the Corgi bouncing jovially around the insect, Thorin just did not have the heart to cast it away. He just resignedly try not to sneeze.

    "Bilbo really likes Thorin a lot,"the younger man commented, his arm brushing slightly against Dwalin's.

    "Thorin is smitten,"he grunted back.

    Ori chuckled at that. Today his hands are clad in fingerless gloves of yellow and black stripes, giving the impression of some oversized bumblebees.

    Now that Dwalin think of it, giving Ori his number was merely being hot in the head and an impressive amount of bravery. He never thought the other man would really call, yet somehow he and Thorin ended up going to the park every blasted weekend. Not that anybody was complaining. Plus, Thorin actually did lose some weight.

    They watched in amusement as the butterfly gracefully glided away with a few flaps of the wings. The Corgi looked genuinely upset, if his drooping tail was anything to go by. The Husky ventured nuzzling the smaller dog and Bilbo brightened almost immediately as if everything was alright again. Thorin looked a little dazzled when the action was returned. Or maybe more than a little. His tail was whipping with more vigour than Dwalin had ever seen, which he could not decide whether it was highly amusing or downright frightening. Thorin has his moments. Sure. Sometimes he'd rest his belly on the veteran's lap on one of those especially cold days, doing a perfect imitation of some very warm (and expensive) fur coat. But that's just about it. Tail-wagging breaches ones regalness. Thorin would probably rather wear a collar (which he hated with passion and was not exactly shy to show his detest by shredding all the ones gifted by Balin) than to break his regal form.

    Dwalin told Ori so and was rewarded with a string of laughter.

    Their weekly meeting has been going on for quite some time now. They talk about things of all kinds, small or big. The younger man told him about his brothers, his career as a children's book writer ("It's just a few books,really," stuttered Ori with a flush. Dwalin could suddenly relate to Thorin's dazzled look), his latest knitted items and all. In return, the veteran shared with him stories of his days ( bits and pieces were left out for the sake of Ori's peace of mind), his brother's job as a diplomat and a fair amount of other things he never thought about telling the others.

    This was all, admittedly, weird. Not in a bad way, but still. Dwalin had always known that he wasn't exactly the talkative type, but when it comes to Ori talking just felt......right. Or it just felt right listening to Ori talk. When he spoke, the young man was just so much more than the shy smile he gave the others. He talked animatedly, even squealed--it was all very endearing--when mentioning something very exciting. Dwalin could just listen to that voice going on all day. Once he even found himself having sat through a three-hour lecture on how to knit in different patterns. Things were actually quite amazing, you see, making socks from yarn and......well, yarn. Anyway. But the more sensible part of him knew that had it been any other person--say, Balin--rambling about knitwear, Dwalin would probably just dump ink into his tea. Or maybe even the other way round. There's something between his brother and writing with a quill. Watching Balin's reaction would be something very entertaining indeed.

    The bigger man always felt more relaxed and yet more self-conscious around the smaller one. He was well aware of their differences: Ori was gentle, sweet, caring and basically everything Dwalin wasn't. The veteran knew that he should by all means just ignore that tug in his chest that occurs whenever Ori smiles, but a glance at Bilbo and Thorin the more selfish part of him simply refused to back down.

    Hope can be a treacherous thing. But if a bulky Husky can do so well with a tiny Corgi, than maybe, just maybe, Dwalin was not completely without a chance.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to the amazing Akua for giving me all these ideas! This chapter would've been totally different (and not in a good way...)had it not been for Akua's suggestions.
> 
> Sorry for posting so late. Turns out that I do not have summer vocation since there will be school every day. And that really slows things down:-(
> 
> But here it is, my longest chapter! Please tell me what you think?

    After making sure that both Bilbo and Thorin were tucked up in the back seat, Ori hopped back into the driver's seat, beaming. He had been planning for this for so long but all could be ruined should the weather be poor. Now the weather is just perfect. He could sense Bilbo's excitement, bouncing up and down in his seat. Bilbo may have a great love for food but he is also quite adventurous, as adventurous as a Corgi could be, anyway. Plus, it's been a long time since they last did this. Ori would really like to take a dip, too.

    "Where are we going again?"

    Okay maybe somebody wasn't exactly on the same page.

    "The beach. We talked about this last week, remember?"

    Dwalin nodded blankly. There may or may not have been a conversation concerning a field trip for Thorin and Bilbo, the man wasn't quite sure. He must have missed it while watching those soft, moving lips of Ori's. Such occurances have been happening with disturbing frequency that Dwalin started worrying about losing something other than hair to the passing time. Amnesia sounds rather unnerving and the veteran would very much like to keep his memory, thank you.    Ori patted the man's arm soothingly. Dwalin just held on to the basket that had been assigned to him (because there's no way Ori would leave it unguarded with the two in the back, and Dwalin somehow ended up volunteering) as if it holds the answer to the very existence of the entire universe. The car started off with some very off-tune chorus of a certain Corgi when the radio started playing"The Road Goes Ever On and On."

    "It can't be _that_ bad," Ori laughed when Dwalin started imitating a boulder under the umbrella they were currently sitting under. The towel underneath them was kind of too small for two, but a little squeezing did the the trick.

    The bigger man just grabbed his paper cup (which had blessedly been filled with some of Ori 's very nice iced tea) and took a big gulp.

    This is not bad, not at all. In fact the feeling of sand between his toes reminded him of the good old days when he and Balin were mere kids and that their parents would take them on trips like this. They usually ended up with minor cuts and bruises( Balin is perhaps now gentle and well-respected, but the same can hardly be said to that little brat which loaded his younger brother's pants with sand, _lots_ and _lots_ of sand) and ice cream cones by the end of day. Those were fond memories and Dwalin was perfectly happy thinking of them.

    What troubled him was how well-prepared the smaller man was for the trip. Ori obviously have great love for the beach and was well-equipped for such occasions. A lot less knitwear and a lot more pale skin saying hello.

    Just when he finally willed his eyes away from those legs there comes the softness peeking out from beneath Ori's collar. Dwalin remembered the beach being hot and windy and all, but he could certainly not recall so much heat and......so much more.

    He just hoped that no sunscreen was to be involved. Otherwise he'd probably volunteer and then things would get very, very awkward.

    "Your face is quite red, Master Dwalin,"the younger man's brows creased with worry,"Is it too hot? Do you have a heat stroke? Here, let me--"

    No voice would come out of his mouth (which went suspiciously dry) and his tongue was suddenly too thick. Dwalin could only widen his eyes as a small hand moved closer and closer toward his forehead, and then--

    This is it. Dwalin was sure. This is going to be the death of him.

   

    x-----x

 

    It took him a lot of stuttering and time which felt like eternity to convince Ori that he was definitely alright. No, he did not need more iced tea ( though it was most welcomed anyway). No, he would not be fainting anytime soon. No, he did not need to get inside the car. Ori only let it slide and averted his gaze to Bilbo after another round of questioning. Even so, Dwalin could still feel the younger man's eyes on him from time to time.

    He forced himself to watch the dogs and settled for only stealing a few glances at Ori when nobody (which was, well, just Ori)was watching. Bilbo apparently have done this before because in no time he was running in ocean puddle joyously. Though his lower half was soaked the rest still remained dry, dry enough to represent a dandelion fluff when a gust of wind swept by. For a moment the veteran wondered why the Corgi wouldn't just go swimming since he likes the sea so much, then it occurred to him that it probably has something to do with those tiny feet Bilbo's got. His lips quirked at the thought.

    Something was poking at his right arm, and it turned out to be Ori trying to catch his attention with a concerned look. Just when the veteran was about to get ready for another round of debate regarding his health condition, he realized that the look was actually directed at Thorin.

    "Is he alright?" the younger man sounded unsure, not knowing how to put it, "I mean, I think Thorin has been staring at the sea doing nothing over the past ten minutes. Does he usually do that?"

    And that was what the Husky was doing indeed, standing there motionlessly. Had their not been the occasional shift Dwalin would probably get worried, too. Yet an idea hit him and the man understood why.

    "Thorin has never been to the beach," Dwalin spoke out in surprised. Well that definitely explained the situation. Thorin is probably stunned by the mass body of water before his eyes. Just like everyone's first encounter with the sea, more or less. With that the man suddenly felt bad for having never taken Thorin to the beach. But then there was the problem of transportation since Dwalin did not own a car. It would probably take them half a day just to get here, and by then both of them would be too tired to engage in any other form of activity.

    Not the best idea, really.

    Ori's eyes crinkled fondly as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind his ear,"I remember my first time to the beach as well. We weren't exactly doing well by then, but somehow Nori came back with a car one day and told us to hop in."

    "To be honest I can't really recall what we did that day, but I remember Dori complaining about sand everywhere on our way home and we all sang along with the radio. I know by then we didn't have much to spare but my brothers bought me ice cream because they said that's how a proper trip to the beach should be."

     The smaller man's eyes were tender as he shared his childhood memory. At least until a greyish ball tumbled right under their umbrella and knocked him right over. Before Dwalin could react another ball hit him on the stomach, knocking the air out of him with an almost-painful "oomph".

    The veteran managed to detach himself from the squirmming object to take a better look. A pair of innocent black eyes looked back at him.

    A Husky pup.

    The said pup wagged its stubby tail and managed to look even more innocent.

    What--

    He glanced at Ori who was already offering the one in his lap some of Bilbo's dog biscuits. At the sight of food, the pup in Dwalin's hands quickly wriggled itself free and soon the younger man was besieged by two hungry Husky pups demanding for more.

    From the distance Dwalin could see Thorin......holding the scruff of Bilbo's neck between his teeth? A red-headed man was strolling casually alongside them. Is Bilbo hurt? And since when did Thorin learn to do anything other than tailing behind awkwardly?

    Then he heard it, the soft whimpering of a Corgi. A low growl from another Husky that was following Bilbo from not far away.

    Then Dwalin realized that the Husky holding Bilbo was _not_ Thorin.

 

    x----x

 

    "Thorin?"Dwalin called out tentatively.

    The Husky not holding Bilbo shot him a dirty look.

    So _that's_ Thorin.

    "This is _Thorin_?"The red-headed man looked up with genuine surprise,"Then you must be Dwalin, Dwalin Fundinson! It's very nice to finally put a face to the name,"he grinned and did a small bow,"Dain, Dain Ironfoot at your service."

    "Do you know him?"Ori whispered nervously, "Can you ask him to give Bilbo back?"

    As if understanding Ori's words, the Husky gently laid the Corgi on the sand. Bilbo did not run away but just stayed there and allowed the bigger dog to softly prod him with his nose. Thorin looked as if he's got sand in his mouth. Dwalin could only sincerely hope that Bilbo really liked Thorin instead of, say, every Husky on the surface of earth. Because if that's the case he knew somebody would be suffering from a really serious heartbreak.

    "Ah, this little one here had a not-so-fortunate experience with a crab,"Dain rubbed his neck and gestured at Bilbo,"Dis just has a soft spot for, uh, small and fluffy things. She'll release him after she's done mothering him."

    "And these ones are......"Ori looked at the new-comer helplessly as he made another poor attempt to have the pups in his lap sit still. Dain laughed and scoop the two into his arms,"these little devils here are Fili and Kili. Look just like their mother, eh?"

    In response the smaller pup bit the man's hand and in no time both of them were running towards Dis. For a second Dain looked a bit hurt as he rubbed the bite mark on his hand before he turned to Dwalin with a sad look,"Should've given Balin Dis instead when he asked for a puppy. Sometimes I think Dis only sticks with me because I provide her with food. Thorin looks just so much nicer."

    The said Husky made a guttural sound in return. Dain flinched,"or maybe not."

    "You know Balin?"

    "An old friend, I'd say. Come asking me for one of the pups some time ago. Said he need something to cheer his bloody brother up," smirked the red-headed man,"Thorin surely lit up your world, didn't he?" Speaking in the way that suggests that he knew things were the exact opposite.

    By the corner of his eye the veteran caught Thorin striding toward Dis. The she-dog gathered the little ones( Bilbo included) behind her with her tail before she sauntered to confront the slightly bigger Husky, her blue orbs barely slits.

    "Are you sure those two remember being siblings?"

    "......Maybe?"

    Dwalin managed to restrict himself from jabbing Dain with his elbow the very last minute. They do not need anymore violence when a dog fight is about to take place. A dog fight between some _very_ big dogs. Ori was already silently beckoning Bilbo toward him in case the Corgi got caught in the crossfire.

    The two kept pacing in circles, their eyes locked and tails bristling.

    Then Dis made her move.

    She was fast. Hard muscle flexing under the silk-smooth pelt as she aimed for her opponent. It was evident that her slightly-smaller size did not trouble her at all.

    Dwalin closed his eyes and silently prayed that he would not become dogless by the end of the ruckus.

    But the she-dog just nudged Thorin on the shoulder, playfully.

    Thorin gave her a baffled look.

    She nudged him again.

    The veteran could almost see the thoughts flowing through Thorin's mind as he let out a strangled noise. He seemed to have shrunk a bit as he slowly backed away from the she-dog.

    "I think they recognized each other."

    "But why does Thorin look as if he just saw a dragon?"

 

    x----x

 

    The day ended with two worn-out puppies( the lighter-colored one snoring in Dain's arms and the other one being carried by Dis) and a Corgi in exhaustion-induced coma. The two full-grown Huskies finally decided to act like the grown-ups they are and bid their goodbyes by pressing their forehead together. Dain left them his number saying that they should meet again sometime. Thorin's expression suggested that he'd rather not.

   

    x----x

 

    Ori watched from the rearview mirror as Thorin carefully wrapped himself around the smaller dog in the backseat, looking rather satisfied to once again have Bilbo all to himself.

Just then Dwalin returned and got back into the car. Feeling ten times clumsier than usual, he handed the item in his hand to the younger man, " A proper trip to the beach," he explained hesitantly.

    Ori accepted the ice cream cone. His smile even more blinding than the slowly setting sun.

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to make one of the pups think but it just didn't work......
> 
> But everybody loves Nori right? So, yay?
> 
> \--anyway. Another chapter! Please tell me what you think?

    Somebody was there.

    Not that he could see the person, but he can feel him. It's an instinct thing, having his senses sharpened during the trainings and all. And judging by the way Thorin's ears standing up cautiously, the dog must have felt it too. There were eyes peering out of somewhere, watching them closely with interest. Dwalin thought he caught a glimpse of something but the next second it was gone. The idea of being spied on was just maddening but there was really little for them to do since the person, or thing, seemed to be determined to linger in the shadow.

    Bad news: they were currently standing right in front of the building Ori lives in.

    It was fortunate enough that the freaky cat made no more appearance after the park incident. Last thing Bilbo and Ori needed was some creep grinning at their doorsteps.

    Okay, maybe he was just overreacting. Just because somebody was sneaking around doesn't mean he was necessarily stalking, right? And even if--if he really were stalking on somebody, it doesn't mean that somebody has to be Ori(though Dwalin's heart would detest--other than the fairest resident in the building who else would a perv be tracking? That crazy old man who wears nothing but grey? Ugh, no , scratch that. Not helping to settle his nerves down. Not at all.)

    The elevator door flew open and a young man looking confused stepped out,"Mr. Greyhame called me saying that you've been standing out there for five minutes or so."

    Now _he_ looks like a stalker. Wonderful. Mr . Greyhame only returned his glower with an amused look as he turned back filling his pipe.

    A pipe, really? Dwalin never smoked but he was pretty sure that thing belongs more to some sort of museum than between that old man's knobby fingers.

    He pressed the button and the elevator doors slid open. But Ori did not enter. He was staring past the veteran's shoulder into something Dwalin could not see. The younger man poked his head out and quickly scanned the surroundings.

    "Nori, is that you?"

    No reply.

    "You do know that it's okay to just walk through the front door, don't you?"

    Silence.

    Ori sighed as he gently patted Thorin's head( Thorin doesn't take it well with strangers but it seems that Ori is an exception, something which Dwalin gladly found out not long ago) and gave the bigger man's sleeve a gentle tug,"Well, let's just go upstairs then. Bilbo must be getting edgy and I have some strawberry cupcakes--"

    No no no. This can't be happening. It just _can't._ The only thing there would serve as a hiding place was a half-dead plant.  Or the plant mister.  Dwalin nearly attacked out of habbit when a head with star-shaped hair literally popped out of _nowhere_.  Ori was clutching his chest like he's got a heart attack.  Mr. Greyhame's eyes actually _twinkled_.

    Dwalin honestly couldn't tell whether the stranger's entrance or the old man's twinkling eye was more disturbing.

    The man with the weird hair just saluted jokingly, his eyes practically gleaming as he pulled the younger man into a bone-crushing hug,"Did somebody just mention cupcakes?"

   

     x----x

 

    The veteran watched Nori and Bilbo wordlessly as the former hogged a tiny mountain of cupcakes and the latter digged enthusiastically into his kibbles. He and Thorin exchanged a glance, both of them at a loss of what to do.

    "You could have told me that you're coming back,"said Ori, not annoyed but rather upset about having nothing other than pastries for his brother. Had he known he would have put some of Dori's recipes to good use. Nori likes strawberry, sure, but this just looks......meagre. The last time Ori saw his brother was a year ago when he literally bumped into Nori (who didn't even plan on visiting!) when he was grocery shopping. He wondered when he will see his brother next time.

    Nori just hummed as he washed down the food with tea. Ori has a bad habit of underestimating his baked goods. It's usually their other brother's job to offer compliments and Nori's to scoop up more cupcakes in appreciation. So he did. He could faintly hear the other guest of Ori's snorting but who cares. "I'm in a rush, actually. Have to catch a flight at eight. Just came to say hello,"the man with star-shaped hair replied while he fished out a silver flask and took a swig, though not without trying to steal glances at his baby brother without getting caught. Ori did not like people worrying over him and one mother hen in the family is quite enough.

    But then, being an older brother means that it's his obligation to, you know, check up on his younger sibling, right?

    Ori caught him staring and rolled his eyes. Nori nearly choked on his drink but quickly masked it with a cough and tried to divert his brother's attention,"And, ah, Bofur and his family are going on a vacation. He was hoping that you would help him with his dog,"

    Nori smiled sheepishly when Ori immediately forgot about the peeking and agreed to help. There is, after all, a reason why Ori is so much cuter than the rest of the family.

    They didn't even have time to go through the details when a phone buzzed and Nori was suddenly barking angrily in......what was that again? When he hung up the man looked as if he were ready to gut somebody.

    "Change of plan, brother. Business calls," the man spat out through gritted teeth. Then realizing he probably gave his brother a fright the maniacal grin returned in no time, "Just a business trip, no big deal,"he added hopefully when his baby brother still looked awfully concerned.

    Last time Nori said he "paid a friend a friend a visit" he ended up with an ugly gash on the cheek and several nasty stitches. Not to mention the times when he "met a nice girl"(he doesn't even _like_ girls) and "help their cousin move". Now his brother seemed to be suffering from a serious lack of sleep(the bloodshot eyes gave him away) but reluctant to rest. The youngest Rison could only manage to pack up a few strawberry cupcakes for his brother before Nori dragged him into another hug and rushed out of the door with another grin that was meant to be soothing but came out rather unnerving.

 

    x----x

 

    Dwalin who had been watching everything unfold before him as he dutifully remained silent, handed Ori his mug. Ori flashed him a grateful smile and pushed the rest of the muffins toward him. With the fresh strawberries and all, those cupcakes were really good. But before the veteran could take a bite a blipping noise ruined the beautiful moment.

    Awkwardly, Dwalin picked up his phone to click open the newly-received file. When he did he nearly dropped the device.

    _Too much. Way too much_ personal information to his comfort. His address, Balin, the entire collection of his previous jobs, and even records considering his relationship with this chap or that when Dwalin was apparently too young for his own good. He paled at this. By the time he finished skimming, the man could feel the sweat beads hanging on his forehead. _Who on earth_ \--

    An unrecognized number popped up on the screen and tentatively Dwalin picked up the phone.

    "Hello?"

    "Message clear, Master Fundinson?"

    Dwalin blinked twice until he recognized the voice. Then he all but smiled.

    "Yes sir."

    "Good."

    The person hung up.

    Knowing the caller, he'd probably get a knife sticking out from his throat in the middle of the night should he look at Ori the wrong way. Despite the shovel talk which promises some very nasty end, the veteran glanced at Ori, who was absolutely endearing as he actually tried to reason with Bilbo about why strawberry cupcakes are bad for Corgis (surely overfeeding can't be good... but why are these bad again?) , and felt something in his chest warm.

    "What exactly does your brother do?"

    "To be honest, I'm not sure,"the younger man replied earnestly. Bilbo saw his chance and was quickly running away with one of the cupcakes as fast as his tiny legs would carry him. Ori let out a frustrated noise but proceeded answering the veteran's question,"But I once asked him what was the language he speaks, he told me it was called Khuzdul. Something like a secret tongue among......certain professionals. I then decided that l don't really need to know."

    Dwalin couldn't agree with him more.

 

    x----x

 

    "Do you want me to get that? The cupcake, I mean."

    "Nah, as long as you don't mind Thorin ending up with half of it anyway."

    Dwalin decided to remain silent on the fact that he already saw the Husky sneaking away with one earlier. Thorin hates any food that's not meat. Can't imagine who the strawberry cupcake was for. Hmm.

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a long time since I last posted. Another test got in the way so, uh, you get the idea.
> 
> This chapter gained an extra thousand words when I went through it the second time. I wonder how that happened.
> 
> Kudos are welcomed and please tell me what you think:)

   No, he is _not_ going to snarl like some uncivilized barbarian, especially when he was at Ori's place and there were other guests, even if the said guest currently has an arm slung around their esteemed host's shoulder.

    Bofur said something and Ori giggled. Dwalin tried to tune everything out with no avail.

    A ridiculous man with a ridiculous accent and a ridiculous hat. Dwalin wondered for the up sixth time in five minutes how much longer he could restrain himself from dislodging the guy's shoulder.

    Thorin was in no better situation. He sulked as Bilbo and the other dog got chummy, and sulked even more when the Corgi didn't even realize that he was sulking. The veteran felt like rubbing the Husky's ears with empathy, but judging from the dark glances constantly shot at the new comer,his hand probably wouldn't survive the peril.

    Dwalin averted his gaze when the couch sagged and Ori sank in with a happy sigh. The younger man even patted Dwalin's knee, sending something he couldn't quite name down his spine. Only then did Dwalin realize that Bofur had long gone. Ori was obviously in a fabulous mood as he rocked back and forth on the couch like excitement is keeping him from sitting still, chirping that their guest only came to drop off Bard on his way to the airport."And, "he added, as if telling a great secret, "I think we can very much look forward to a wedding!"

    Dwalin sent him a quizzical look and Ori giggled some more,"Bofur said that he found where Nori hides the ring. He asked me if I will help him plan the wedding. Of course _yes_!"The smaller man leaned into his companion's shoulder, a content smile on his face as he drew small circles on the veteran's knee with a thumb.

 

Wait.

Bofur--

_Bofur and Nori--?_

 

Oh.

 

    Ori was still talking about his ideas for the wedding, but Dwalin suddenly could focus on nothing but the rhythmic sensation on his knee. He quickly sent a silent "thank you" to whoever that was listening.

    And if he happened to have tilted his head a bit so temple brushed slightly against the top of Ori's head, well, nobody was there to see.

 

    x----x

 

    Ori blinked owlishly at the sight before him: a very disgruntled Dwalin, an all-too-innocent looking Bard, a sour-faced Thorin, and a huffing Bilbo that was pointedly ignoring the former. All was still until Dwalin pulled a tattered blue scarf off his neck and stuffed it into his overcoat. Ori quickly assessed the damage before the bigger man stormed inside with an unattractive scowl, his boots discarded angrily at the front door.

    Okay, so the overcoat may be covered in a brownish mess that strongly resembles mud, but a little washing will take care of it. Leather gloves have proven themselves very durable and would not be easily shredded into pieces like the scarf there. Ori made a mental list and ticked off the items one by one proficiently. He was good at this, and not without a good reason. Ori could also do basic stitching and tell when infection has set in. He even knew how to cauterize a wound to stop the blood when things get really, really desperate (It's happened before. He still gets nauseous just thinking of the--no no no, stop, he is not going to think about that--). The younger man groaned when the memory flooded back. But really, you have to be awfully talented to keep a brother like Nori alive for so long.

    Ori paused when he came down to the last thing on his mental list: Dwalin's mood. Hardest to fix of all, that one. Thankfully he had his cookie jar filled up just this morning. Dwalin is big, and perhaps a bit rough-looking, with or without the scars. It is not uncommon that people assumed that he has a fiery temper, which is not, uh, entirely untrue. But other than lashing out at others, the man actually preferred taking his temper on cookies when they'e foul. It was all very sweet. Ori allowed himself a moment to smile at that before he hurried to pour Dwalin a glass of milk, which Dwalin finished with a gulp and already looked much better(with a third of the cookie jar empty, that is). When Bilbo padded to them at the scent of food with two other dogs trailing behind in a silent competition, Ori gently gestured him back to the living room. The Corgi looked somewhat confused when his owner did not pick him up but complied anyway. The younger man sat across Dwalin on the kitchen table, his right hand tracing one of the marks he's left on the surface at a much younger age.

    "Better?"

    The veteran nodded.

    "It's Bard and Thorin again, isn't it?"

    Dwalin wasn't even sure what exactly happened. He remembered the two walking side by side with the Corgi, each edging a bit closer when one realized that the other had taken action. Eventually Bilbo got annoyed to be stuck between two walls of solid muscle and ran off for other dogs in the park. An aging Labrador retriever by the name of Oin happily received the company of the Corgi. Thorin snapped at Bard at the sight(probably blaming him for Bilbo's flight...), who growled back with equal ferocity. Things ascended quickly from there when the two had their ears flattened and teeth bared.

    _At least they didn't go for Oin._ Dwalin tried to remain optimistic while he scrambled to get the two under control, an impossible task as Thorin nearly knocked over an ice cream cart when he slammed himself against Bard. The latter was perhaps not as muscular as the Husky, but his lean built and long legs made him great in speed. He dashed into the crowd of gathering onlookers, effectively causing chaos and put a nice distance between himself and his pursuer. The only problem was that a little girl stumbled and started crying while her mother shot angry looks at the person resposible(a.k.a Dwalin who had no idea how he got himself into such shit). When Thorin finally tackled his opponent through ambushing, it was a lot of thrashing and scowling and the clanging of fangs. And of course it was Dwalin's job to force the two apart. People at the park grumbled and complained about somebody who can't even get a hand on his own dogs, while he risked his fingers to drag Bard away by his collar. By the time he was done there was mud all over him and his scarf had been badly damaged, pieces of yarn dangling between Bard's teeth. He tossed Thorin, who was still tense and ready to strike, a furious glance then realized that his trouble was far from over.

 

    Their smallest member was missing.

 

    _Fuck_.

 

   Oin the Labrador retriever was examining a patch of mushrooms with great interest, _alone_. Dwalin knew how capable Bilbo could be when it comes to hiding, and he really had no desire to stay at the park any longer with people constantly giving him pointed glances. He was struggling between whether to have Thorin and Bard helping him with the search, much more effective but also risking another round of dog fight. However a man stepped in before he made any decision.

 

    "Is this little one yours?"

    Dwalin spun around when a man with crooked teeth tapped his shoulder, mentally cursing when he found a white German Shepherd--is it supposed to look like that?--rubbing its nose on Bilbo's back. While Bilbo didn't seem to mind Thorin definitely did, a low rumbling noise forming at the base of his throat. The albino German Shepherd barely glanced at the Husky before he proceeded sniffing the Corgi curiously. The man who called Dwalin earlier looked rather interested. "Azog doesn't usually get close with other dogs,"he said.

    Azog's eyes turned into pink slits when his owner informed him to let Bilbo back to his friends. He buried his face in Bilbo's neck--making the smaller dog jump in process--before eventually returning to his master. There was something unsettling in Azog's eyes--greed, perhaps--that had the veteran picked up the Corgi instead of just having him join Thorin and Bard. Azog's owner bid them farewell but his eyes remained fixed on Bilbo before finally pulling away. The German Shepherd followed suit after--do dogs sneer? because that's definitely what the dog just did--sneering at Thorin. Dwalin quickly shoved the Corgi before Thorin. He did not need the earlier incident to repeat itself.

    He told Ori the entire story and the younger man frowned,"You met Bolg? So he's back?"

    "You mean Azog's owner? What of him?"

    "Well..."Ori replied, choosing his words carefully,"He's not often around, spending most of his time somewhere else. But every time people see him is with a different dog. I remember the last one was called Shelob or something, so Azog is obviously a new one. Bolg never really _did_ anything, but people just can't help wondering where the other dogs are. I just hope that he doesn't cause any trouble."

     They talked about the problem between Bard and Thorin after that. Apparently Ori took the blunt of it as he had already lost one of Dori's tea set, Nori's secret alcohol stock which he didn't even know existed until it spilt all over the carpet, the toaster, and many other things he didn't bother mentioning to the feud between the two.

 

    "The toaster."

    "Um, yes?"

    "How did that happen"

    The smaller man replied with a wry smile,"Seemed that Bilbo wanted toast but couldn't get it himself, so the other two decided knock the toaster down the counter. I am utterly thankful that nobody suffered from burns or concussions."

    Oh well......so one more question left then.  

    A fairly important one also.

 

 

 "So who got it in the end? Bard or Thorin?" 

   

"......Thorin did. The extra inches did give him some advantages after all."

    "......"

    "Oh, don't look so pleased with yourself!"Ori huffed but with no real ire, and when Dwalin's lips eventually turned upwards, the younger man found that he couldn't quite stop his own smile from spreading.

    "You're ridiculous,"Ori said, this time with more fondness as he playfully poked the other man's forearm. Dwalin didn't seem to mind. In fact, his smile turned into a grin. When the veteran looked into Ori's smile-creased eyes, he thought he could see something there, something a little more than the friendship between them now--

    Something crashed in the living room and the younger man nearly jumped off his chair, then a look of confusion spread across his face,"I thought I've put everything breakable away."

    Ori grabbed Dwalin's hand to pull him away from the table as he marched towards where the dogs are. The TV was toppled over with cobweb-shaped cracks on the screen. It didn't turn on when Ori tried the remote. Bard had his head lowered sheepishly.

    For some reason Dwalin thought it totally possible that Thorin had set Bard up, but he really didn't know where he got the idea so he remained silent when Ori announced that he knew what he would be asking Bofur for Christmas, brother-in-law or not. The Husky just looked at him with innocent blue eyes. He must have learnt that from Bilbo, ugh.

    Then Dwalin realized that his hand and Ori's were still linked and his face turned bright red at the thought. He snuck a glance at Ori and when the younger man made no move to pull away, Dwalin gave the soft palms an experimental squeeze.

    The young man squeezed back.

 

    They returned to the cookies left at the kitchen, hands still linked under the table.

     

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been some time since I last updated this but don't worry I am alive!  
> Just busy working on a one-shot which refused to leave me alone.  
> I have problems inserting a link... but take a look at Round the Old Oak Tree when you have time:-)
> 
> This chapter is inspired by Akua who gave me the wonderful idea of a pet store.  
> To be honest, I actually considered writing about Ori doing spring cleaning. So thank her a billion times for saving this and making it so much better:-)

    "Thorin, you're not even supposed to be in there. It's for exhibition only."

     The gray, bushy tail facing him didn't even bother moving.

    "I'm sure the one like a sapphire is just as good. See, Bilbo thinks so too--"

    The Husky started shifting at the Corgi's name. Dwalin gestured wildly at Ori for Bilbo, but the smaller man just frantically mouthed I don't know and showed him his empty arms. Thorin chose the exact moment to peek out from the barrel-shaped doggy house he was currently nestling in, and slumped back inside with an almost-pathetic look when he found no Corgi outside.

    "For God's sake, Thorin, it's just a toy!"

 

    x----x

 

    "I'm exchanging this git for Bilbo,"muttered the veteran through gritted teeth. They have been stuck like this for almost half an hour, and Dwalin's knees are hurting like hell from all the crouching. Ori patted him sympathetically on the arm. For a second the burly man considered hauling his Husky out of the barrel, then quickly decided that a broken back really isn't worth it.

    A pug passed by. It's wide, sad eyes focused on Dwalin before pattering away drooling.

    "On second thought, maybe I should just disown Thorin and get a pug--"

    "Dwalin!"

    A lady eyed them warily before scooping the drooling dog into her arms protectively. Ori gave her a perfectly innocent smile before shoving the veteran into a corner, brushing past a rack of beef jerkies. The redheaded lady tossed them one last suspicious glance before strutting away with her pug.

    It was Dwalin's suggestion(which he now regrets terribly) that they take Thorin to the pet store when Ori decided that they should celebrate the Husky's birthday. Dwalin had managed to dissuade the younger man from feeding Thorin fillet steak for dinner, but Ori was very insistent with the gift part. The younger man had wanted it to be a surprise(since Bilbo loves them so much, especially the ones concerning edible items) but Dwalin told him about the previous "surprises" prepared by Balin which had not met Thorin's expectations. They agreed that it is only best that the Husky go and pick out his own birthday present.

    The veteran thought once again of the plastic bone which ended up mysteriously in the toilet. And the water bowl. And that neon-yellow frisbee. The last thing he needs right now is a hurt Ori. Or plumbing problems.

    Everyone was quite happy when a glittering ball caught Thorin's attention, then things turned downright _unhappy_ when a blonde young man scooped it off the shelf with a flawless move. The Husky had looked genuinely shocked before deciding that the world is lost without the...ah, yes, _the Arkenstone: guaranteed to squeak and glitter up to a year_. Dwalin had no idea why his dog is so adamant about the toy. It's pretty, true enough, but there is an entire selection of glittering balls which look respectively like _sapphire, ruby, emerald, amethyst, jasper_ and about five other kinds of precious stones. Why does it have to be the _last_ and _only_ Arkenstone on the shelf?

    "Dwalin!"Ori hissed as he shook the man's arm to get his attention. The blonde young man they saw earlier had just walked past an aisle of dog food, kneeling down to inspect some cans _with the Arkenstone in hand_.

   "I don't think it is a good idea to steal from other customers,"the veteran reminded his companion mildly. Ori had that _look_ on his face which looked disturbingly like Nori, and Dwalin was starting to feel uneasy just looking at him.

    Because if Ori really decided that they should give burglary a try, then Dwalin would definitely end up volunteering just to keep the younger man out of trouble. But then, the guy hadn't paid for the toy yet so it's technically not his, right? Is it illegal to steal something that doesn't belong to anyone yet?

    Then Ori smiled, grabbing Dwalin's hand as he pulled the bigger man down to share his plan. For a second Dwalin was torn between feeling frightened about sweet Ori coming up with an idea like this, and somewhat impressed by the quick thinking and craziness.

    And then Ori had looked at him with those impossibly warm hazel eyes. Dwalin didn't even remember agreeing but he must have given his consent since the younger man was already enthusiastically dragging him to carry out the first part of the plan.

    Even if the whole thing failed miserably, at least he got a good deal of hand holding out of this. Dwalin looked at their linked fingers, suddenly feeling dazed.

 

    x---x

 

    First step: find Bilbo.

 

    "How did you get in there?!"Ori exclaimed, eyes wide as he found his Corgi inside a large cage with two puppies of the same kind. Bilbo stood on his hind legs and gave his owner a happy woof. As if on cue, the two other puppies stumbled to copy the older Corgi's action. The one with blackish fur actually succeeded as he stood proudly by Bilbo. The later gave him a warm nuzzle as reward and soon the three dogs were tumbling happily in a pile.

    Ori looked like he was about to pass out.

   

    The two Corgi pups whined loudly when their new friend was taken away. Bilbo looked depressed as well if his constant head-turning was anything to go by. Ori felt guilty for his action(they look just like one happy family...)and Dwalin had to remind him that there is nothing wrong with saving your dog before someone else accidentally buys him, because then  _that_ would be really depressing.    

   

    After around five to ten minutes of soothing Bilbo finally sat down and listen. Ori briefly explained his idea to the Corgi even though Bilbo just looked back at him blankly.

    "Are you sure he understands?"the veteran asked his companion skeptically. Now that his hand is not being held in a smaller one Dwalin felt his mind slowly clearing up. And realized that he had made a big mistake. Maybe they should go back to the idea of hauling Thorin out of the barrel. Because telling your dog to steal from other customers is an idea just as bad as it sounds.

    "Here he is! The glittering ball, alright? Good boy."

     Bilbo scampered after the blonde young man who had set the Arkenstone down on a nearby shelf to take a better look at some dog biscuits.

    "It's going to be alright. We'll just check out real quickly and, um, never come back again,"the younger man told him as they waited for the Corgi's return behind a large pile of dog food. The veteran could already sense a headache brewing. Then he realized that Ori wasn't looking exactly comfortable, either. In fact, the smaller man seemed quite nervous, taking off and putting on his fingerless gloves restlessly.

    "We could've just tied a ribbon around Bilbo and shove him into Thorin's face, you know."

     Ori laughed quietly at the thought before shaking his head.

    "Thorin is always so sweet to Bilbo. He never lose patience, even when Bilbo accidentally kicks him while sleeping,"Ori told Dwalin, then he added softly, "I think Bilbo would like to do something for Thorin, too."

    For some funny reason Dwalin's head was trying freaking hard to interpret what the younger man just said in another way. No, there is definitely _nothing_ beside the words originally intended meanings. Even if Ori somehow refused to look at him at the moment. Their fingertips touched and the veteran had to turn away to pretend looking for Bilbo in order to hide the redness on his face. He thought he heard Ori chuckling at his blush which just made his heated face even redder.

    Dwalin had always thought that he would eventually get used to these small actions of affection, but things just doesn't seem to work that way. He always end up feeling dazed and breathless and for the love of God it's just _a touch of the hand._

    Luckily Bilbo got back just in time before Dwalin was sure that his face was going to burst into flames. Ori beckoned him to their hiding place. The Corgi was fairly responsive as he literally threw himself into his owner's arms.

    Then Ori's eyes bulged comically when he felt something that is _not_ a part of Bilbo on his chest. They feel like...claws. Tiny claws clinging onto Ori for dear life. The smaller man instinctively swatted at the creature clinging on him and it landed harshly on the ground with a painful thud.

    The thing just scrambled up to his feet, thankfully unharmed. It hissed at them murderously before leaping away from a Corgi who was nudging its long tail curiously.

    ......perhaps this really is not the best idea.

    "Bilbo, the Arkenstone, not the iguana!"

    Bilbo tilted his head, confused. He continued to prod the reddish reptile in interest until Dwalin took pity on the thing and lifted it into his palms. The iguana was no longer than Dwalin's hand(tail excluded) but when it hissed it looked twice his size. It probably has some false delusion of grandeur, the veteran thought, like being a dragon or something. The iguana huffed self-importantly before making himself comfortable in the large man's palm.

    "What now?"The veteran asked, the iguana had taken to draping its tail across his arm, looking rather pleased with itself. Another pet with an oversized ego. He wondered who the poor owner is.

    "Maybe we can try asking if anyone is missing an iguana? Or maybe it belongs to the pet shop?". Ori sounded unsure as he scanned around to look for anybody searching for their missing reptilian pet, with no success.

    Then a man wearing the pet shop uniform carrying several packs of kitty litter walked by them. Bilbo chose the exact same moment to rush forward, making the poor guy lose his footing to avoid stumbling on the Corgi. Ori squeaked when sacks of kitty litter came tumbling down and one nearly landed on Bilbo's head. Dwalin reached down to help him up. The guy picked up his name plate from the ground--Melkor it says--before straightening his shirt and rubbing his wrist, his eyes fixated on the veteran's other hand in surprise.

    "Smaug?"

    The iguana clinging on Dwalin made a angry hissing noise.

    "Thank you!"the man smiled at them genuinely before he carefully placed the reptile back on his shoulder, "I was wondering where he had gotten to. He usually prefers to stay on my shoulder. How did you find him?"

    "Well..."Ori stuttered, not knowing what to say. Fortunately another worker called out for Melkor. "Thanks again,"the man turned back after answering the call,"gotta go. Find me if you need anything, alright?"The smaller man nodded and Melkor was gone to assist a gentleman choosing a rabbit for his daughter's birthday.

    "How exactly did Bilbo steal an iguana from someone's shoulder?"

    "Did I ever tell you that Nori gave him to me when Dori got married and moved out?"

    Ah. That explains it, kind of, anyway.

    Speaking of the Corgi--

    "Look Dwalin! He's actually found it!"

    The bigger man spun to look at the pointed direction, where the blonde young man they were earlier planning on burgling turned to ask a staff member for a certain type of kibbles. The Arkenstone was placed on a relatively low part of the shelf and Bilbo had just managed to stand on his hind legs, his nose only an inch away from the glittering ball--

    A taller figure loomed over the Corgi as it effortlessly picked the Arkenstone up out of Bilbo's reach, piercing eyes looked down at the smaller dog.

    The larger dog had a long snout, each and every movement carefully measured as he sized Bilbo up. It was an elegant thing indeed, even if Ori couldn't name its species. The dog's long, golden mane so well-groomed that it seems to be glowing.

    "That dog just doesn't look _natural_."

    "Dwalin it's _beautiful_."

    However it was quite evident the dog's beauty had little to no effect on Bilbo. The Corgi just whined in complaint as he jumped to reach the ball. The beautiful dog was still watching him with a contemplating look. Bilbo whined again. This time he changed his tactic and turned to look up at the dog holding the Arkenstone with the most innocent big eyes Dwalin had ever seen.

    "Sorry, excuse me...Thranduil! Where are you going and where is your Arkenstone?!" The blonde young man hurried past the pet shop worker, rushing after the beautiful dog who seemed more than determined to bolt right out of the door.

    Bilbo came trotting back triumphantly with the Arkenstone on display between his teeth. He left the ball with Dwalin and clambered into Ori's arms to give his owner some very passionate licks. The smaller man laughed as he rubbed the Corgi's ears.

   

    x----x

 

    Things were much easier afterwards. Thorin looked stunned when Bilbo came placing the Arkenstone before his feet. Dwalin couldn't help grinning when he realized that his Husky did not go straight for the toy but curled himself around the Corgi and nuzzled him fervently. Bilbo just lay there boneless, thoroughly enjoying the attention and looking like he was about to melt.

 

x----x

 

    "When exactly are you going to get out of there, Thranduil? We have an appointment with the stylist, remember?"

    The dog just huffed and continued to hide himself in his doggy house, not even bothering to move his tail.

    "I've already asked Radagast to keep an eye out for the dog, didn't I? Plus, he said that most of his customers are regulars. It is very likely that you two shall meet again."

    The dog with golden locks just peeked out with an almost-pathetic look before shrinking back inside.

    "For God's sake, Thranduil, it's just a Corgi!"

 

   

   

   

 

    


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some people are probably wondering why this suddenly became a series, because me and Akua both decided that iguana!Smaug definitely deserved his own one-shot.
> 
> Check it out!
> 
> And this chapter is much longer than my usual ones because we're finally coming to an end...an epilogue will follow shortly after. 
> 
> And as usual, please tell me what you think:-)

    Dwalin felt _shaken_. The crowd and the shoving and jostling and muffled words that were either a quick apology or slurs about someone's mother --it's just _too much_. He thought he had bruised his knee when an old lady knocked him aside with her crane. Damn, he wasn't even trying to grab that sweater! Not to mention that the pattern on the piece of clothing was nothing but hideous. The reindeer on it looked downright frightened like it was expecting the Santa Claus(a terrible image of a drunken barrel with white beard) to beat it with a candy cane. Or something. Amid the chaos, Dwalin managed to offer his sympathy to whoever that is receiving the sweater, as much as he could muster while clutching onto his throbbing knee, anyway. His head was ringing with the screaming and crying of children and he thought something in him was going to snap. Probably his sanity. It has been a long time since Dwalin last participated in such madness, and all of this just once again reminded him why he hated Christmas shopping with a passion in the very first place.

    And the last time he checked, _he_ was supposed to be the bigger and more intimidating one between himself and Ori. And yet he was left to babysit the two dogs while the smaller man rush inside shops with a viciousness that Dwalin never thought him capable of.

    Come to think of it, this new side of Ori is kind of scary. But also _very_ attractive--

    Dwalin immediately blushed when the last sentence simply popped up in his head. Bilbo, sitting in his personal stroller, stood on his hind legs and licked the veteran's nose. Thorin snorted as he tried to regain the Corgi's attention. The Husky succeeded by leaning his forelegs on the stroller to nuzzle the smaller dog.

    It was rather amusing to see Thorin try to catch Bilbo's attention whenever the latter got distracted by a passing customer, like, every five minutes or so. Dwalin never realized how multitalented his dog was until now, because really, who knew that Thorin could actually balance a ball on his pointy nose?

    Though entertained, the veteran was still more than glad when Ori strutted back proudly with paper bags hanging on his arm(for a short period of time only, for the bigger man quickly removed them and took over), a large grin on his face looking victorious. He squeezed Dwalin's arm softly before patting both Bilbo and Thorin's head. The bigger man let out the breath he didn't know he was holding in relief when Ori announced that all's done and they were allowed to get away from the crowded hell.

 

    "Why does Bilbo need to sit in a stroller?"

    "Well, I can't put a leash on him, can I? Dori thought that a stroller is a better option."

    "......"

    "Oh, haven't I told you about what happened last Christmas? The time when he came back with a turkey which we didn't even know where he got it?'

     "......"

 

    x----x

   

    Dwalin sat glumly on the bench, alone. Thorin looked happy enough to have Bilbo around and abandoned his owner as soon as the trio entered the park. The Corgi nudged the bigger dog playfully and Thorin looked as if he were about to swoon. Typical symptoms when you're lovesick, so Dwalin wasn't too worried as he took small sips of tea from the Thermos bottle Ori had packed for him earlier.

    Ori said he was _busy_. Which was, well, perfectly understandable since he was a grown-up with a job and responsibilities. But Ori had been busy ever since they went Christmas shopping last week. He had even asked Dwalin to take Bilbo to the park instead of going with them himself. And whenever Dwalin caught the chance to ask him about what had kept him so busy, the younger man would dance around the subject until they either talked about something else or when Dwalin gave up. It was quite frustrating, really. Had there not been the younger man's reassuring smiles, the veteran would have thought that he had outstayed his welcome. The single idea made the man felt clammy and sick.

    He had once told the smaller man so and, thank God, that Ori just stared at him in horror. Then a lot of fussing and caring quickly followed. So, thankfully, that should not be the case. From then on Ori would always try to spare some time for the bigger man, even though their tea time was much shorter than usual.

   

    Then there was the problem of presents.

    Last week Ori had started wrapping up the gifts right after they got back to his apartment. Dwalin could see the Swiss knife he had bought for Nori carefully wrapped up in blue wrapping papers with the receiver's name neatly written on it. And then there was the fur-lined hat for Bofur(how many hats does that guy have exactly?) and other items for friends and relatives. None of them are addressed to Dwalin.

    Okay, he knew that people don't wrap presents right in front of the receiver but a tiny part of the man was still constantly worrying about whether Ori actually prepared something for him. It made Dwalin felt like a teenage girl but he just couldn't help it. Plus, what was he supposed to give Ori? Something special, of course, something that can speak for Dwalin and tell the receiver how much he appreciated his tea and pastries and company and everything that's just Ori. Admittedly, Dwalin wasn't used to this whole gift giving business. How do people just go around a bunch of things and just figure out what is the right present? But, well, maybe they don't. He thought of the old lady with that sorrowful sweater and suddenly felt somewhat better. At least he knew that Ori will not be receiving any hideous Christmas sweater from him.

    He would have to take this easy. Deep breath. How bad can it be? It's just Christmas. No point ending up like the worrywart Balin is or his brooding Husky when the holiday wasn't even here yet.

    A gust of cold wind rushed by and the man instinctively raised his head to check up on Thorin and Bilbo. Then realized that there really was little point doing so. Thorin had plenty of fur for both of them, not to mention that Bilbo was not only wrapped in his fluffy hair but also a green Christmas-y woolen jumper Ori had managed to tuck him into before the Corgi bolted out to greet the Husky. When he gestured the smaller dog to come closer, Bilbo still bounced into the man's lap with enthusiasm, Thorin trailing behind grudgingly.

    "What do you think I should give Ori, Bilbo?"

    The Corgi tilted his head questioningly. Dwalin explained the situation to him but the dog just snuggled its way into Dwalin's overcoat. The man sighed. The Husky snorted.

   

    It seems that he would need expert help......

 

    x----x

 

    "Dwalin! Haven't heard from you for a long time!"

    The said man internally winced at the booming voice and placed his phone slightly away from his ear. Gloin can be loud to the point of deafening when he forgets to control his volume, but a good friend nonetheless. The man was not exactly the brightest or most popular guy when they were in high school, but he was the one who ended up as a banker with a beautiful house and a lovely wife and a son he wouldn't stop talking about. So there had to be something Gloin could do to help, right?

    "Ah, well, I was hoping that--"

    "Sorry, Myra's saying something, just a min--"

    There was the sound of a child giggling and _OH MY GOD GIMLI JUST TOOK HIS FIRST STEP GLOIN GET THE CAMERA_ before Dwalin heard the sound of Gloin's phone hitting the table(or maybe dropped on the floor, Dwalin couldn't tell). He flinched at the loud noise again before hanging up. Gloin wouldn't be able to snap out of his Gimli haze in a few hours or so, and, true, Dwalin loves the boy as his friend had simply named him Gimli's godfather the moment the baby grabbed his finger, but Dwalin wasn't sure whether he really wanted to hear about the first time the baby opened his eyes or smiled for the up tenth time.

 

    x----x

 

    "Dwalin! What a surprise!"The veteran went stiff when a hand out of nowhere clasped his shoulder and only barely managed to stop his instincts from getting the better of him, because flipping Ori's brother-law to-be onto the ground is probably not the best idea. Dwalin tried to pretend that nothing happened as he greeted the man in a hat. Bard was looking up at him with cautious from the ground. Good that Thorin had refused to leave his bed this morning, or the day would more than likely end in blood and tears, Bilbo present or not.

    "Doing some last minute Christmas shopping?"the man chirped brightly as they walked past an antique store. The veteran just grunted back. He had not been expecting to meet anyone he knew, especially not when he was trying to find the right gift for Ori. Especially not Bofur.

    "Having problems getting Ori a present?"the man asked innocently and Dwalin immediately choked on air. He couldn't be that easy to read, could he? But before he was about to protest, the more reasonable part of him pointed out that he really needed all the help he could get.

    "...any suggestions?"

    Bofur _grinned_.

 

    "Let's start with what Ori likes to do , shan't we?"Bofur looked at him kindly like a patient teacher helping a student who is rather dim. Dwalin had never thought the day would take such an... _interesting_ turn but he allowed Bofur to drag him around anyway. If this is what it takes to find Ori the perfect present, then so be it.

    The shopping street was chaotic during this time of the year, shoppers everywhere with their elbows and insincere apologies whenever they shoved somebody out of the way. Somehow Bofur had managed to squeeze both of them into stores after stores. Without any casualties. Dwalin never thought that he would ever see so many different fountain pens throughout his life, nor the large number of cooking implements. It was dazzling. And somewhat overwhelming if he were to be honest.

    An hour later Bofur finally decided that the veteran could use a break. Probably had something to do with the complete blankness on Dwalin's face. Seated in a tiny cafe, Dwalin finally looked more alive after a fresh pot of tea was set on their table. It wasn't as good as Ori's, but his head did feel clearer after the initial sip.

    "Where's Nori?"Dwalin asked his companion, who was leisurely helping himself to a generous slice of apple pie. Bard sat beside him on the sofa, sniffing the teapot curiously.

    "I told him I wanted to go get a few things for Christmas, but I think he's somewhere around."Bofur replied between bites before feigning a sigh,"this is what happens when you have a paranoid fiance,"

    "I'm not _paranoid_ ,"the gentleman sitting at the table next to theirs suddenly put down the newspaper he was holding. Dwalin felt his jaw drop at the star-shaped hair. Had he really been following them all the time?

    Another good reason to not have attacked Bofur when he was startled. Nobody really needed to end up with a knife in the gut with Christmas around the corner, thank you very much.

    He politely turned his head when some very passionate activities took place on the sofa across from his, and bravely sat through the entire five minutes of kissing noises. When the couple were finally done, it was no surprise that they decided to head home right away(with Nori winking at Bofur very suggestively). Bard nipped his sleeve as a goodbye and in no time they were gone.

   

     Dwalin stared into his teacup miserably when he realized that he still did not know what to get for Ori.

 

    x----x

 

    No, he is _not_ going to go to his brother for advice. Just _not_ happening.

 

    x----x

 

    "Mr.Fundinson!"

    Dwalin turned at the call as he walked past Ori's apartment on his way home. That crazy old man was sitting outside with his pipe in hand, clad entirely in grey as usual. A significant number of pigeons had gathered around him despite there being no bread crumbs in his hand.

    "Something's on your shoulder,"Mr. Greyhame told him.

    The veteran frowned when he found a post-it note there, after squinting to read the words, he decided that he definitely owed Nori more than a crate of beer.

    In fact, he nearly _wept_ in joy.

 

    x----x

 

    Ori had told him that there's no need to bring anything since Dori's got it all covered. Still, Dwalin couldn't help feeling rather nervous standing outside the smaller man's apartment with the sack filled with presents in hand. It was the first time for him to meet Ori's entire family, including some cousins of Bofur's. Usually he'd either spend Christmas eve with Balin if his brother happened to be in the country, or just with Thorin. And have a movie marathon until he fell asleep in his couch with his TV still on.

    Somebody answered the door and the veteran instantly straightened his back. He would much like to give Ori's family a good impression. Only it was Ori smiling at him behind the door.

    "Hello,"the smaller man said, suddenly looking a bit shy. Dwalin was about to say something when the Husky beside him dashed right inside the house at the sound of pattering feet of a certain Corgi, ruining the beautiful moment. The bigger man glared at his dog until Ori laughed and ushered him inside.

    "Mistletoe!"Nori singsonged as he danced past the couple with a hat that looked suspiciously like Bofur's on his head. Sure enough, a hat-less Bofur came running after his fiance as he tackled Nori down on the floor to get his hat back.

    Both Dwalin and Ori looked up on instinct at the direction Nori was pointing, and there it was, the white berries hanging on the doorframe just above their head.

    "Well..."Ori was blushing so badly that even the red-and-green turtleneck he was wearing couldn't hide the redness on his face even though he had ducked his head. All of a sudden the smaller man was in the veteran's arms, his face now crimson.

    "Bilbo!"

    The said Corgi just gave his owner his standard puppy eyes. Had he not seen it himself, Dwalin wouldn't have believed that the tiny dog just ran across the living room and headbutted Ori on the back of his knees. The innocent-looking furball was apparently way more evil than he had originally thought. When the veteran turned his face to Bilbo, the Corgi just slipped behind Thorin who effectively blocked him away from Dwalin's stare.

    Ignoring Bofur's complaint concerning cheating, Dwalin just picked up Ori's right hand and gently planted a soft kiss in the smaller man's palm. Much to his surprise, Ori actually tiptoed to brush his lips against his cheek.

Before they could say anything, Dori announced that dinner was ready and they were all shuffling towards the dining table.

    Dinner was great, to say the least. The atmosphere was lively with the alcohol flowing freely and the best Chirstmas pudding Dwalin had ever tasted. Their merrymaking did not end until midnight when Bofur scrambled into Nori's laps and......honestly, nobody really needed to see _that_. With the help of both Bofur's counsins, Bifur and Bombur, Dori finally tossed the drunken couple into Nori's old room before they could traumatize anyone.

    They had saved the guestroom for him, despite Dwalin constant insisting that he really did not live far from here. After carefully placing the presents under the Christmas tree, he returned to his appointed room then instantly slammed the door the moment he opened it.

    "Dwalin?"Ori's head poked out from his room, most likely startled by the sound. The veteran just looked at him all flustered as he tried to erase the image from his mind.

    Nope. Not working. He had a feeling that what he just saw would stick in his head until the end of his days.

    "Thorin and Bilbo...um, they're, ah, asleep. In the bed."

    "They're asleep? Well, I thought I saw Bilbo stealing some of Nori's eggnog but I didn't realize how greatly it would affect him..."

    Good that the door had successfully blocked out the noise or that Bilbo and Thorin weren't being loud. That wasn't exactly something family-friendly and just because Dwalin wasn't a dog doesn't mean that he was comfortable with seeing his Husky engaged in a very passionate round of--

    He refused to say the "s" word because after Nori and Bofur, Dwalin really did not need more excitement for the night, thank you.

    After he finally shook out of his state of shock, the veteran suddenly found himself situated in Ori's room with the door closed. When he stammered about the couch being just fine the younger man simply gestured him to the surprisingly large bed with a roll of his eyes. Before he could start fidgeting, Ori climbed into the bed with something in silver wrappers. He patted the empty space beside him and the burlier man finally sat down obediently.

    "I thought Dori said that nobody touches the gifts until morning,"Dwalin told the smaller man with concern when he passed him the present.

    "I've prepared two for you, the other one can wait under the tree until tomorrow,"Ori just answered him with a smugness that made the veteran's lips curled upwards. The younger man obviously enjoyed outwitting his eldest brother very much. Ori looked excited, in fact, he looked pretty much just as excited as Dwalin whose insides had suddenly taken on doing somersaults.

    "Open it,"the smaller man urged him again with a smile.

    And he did.

    "Do you like it?"

    Dwalin could not find his voice. He just stared at the book--yes, a _book_ , in his hand with awe. There wasn't a single word in any of the pages but running his fingers along the illustrations made he wanted to pull his companion into his arms and never let go.

    On the first page was a picture of Thorin and Bilbo touching nose for the first time, Dwalin running behind his Husky. Then it was an image of the Husky wrapping his tail around the Corgi, two mugs of tea sitting on the tea table. And all the little things that happened between them and the two dogs over the past months painted beautifully across the pages. Dwalin felt something warm bubbling in his chest at the painting of a grumpy Bard and an annoyed Thorin determinedly ignoring each other while Bilbo stood on his hind legs, greeting Dwalin by pawing on his knee. Ori did not say anything until the veteran finished reading, the last page being a time when both of them sitting on the couch with the Corgi asleep in Ori's lap and the Husky resting his belly on his owner's feet. The scene was so peaceful and serene that they looked just like, just like--a family.

    He thought Ori must have seen the dampness in his eyes but the smaller man said nothing about it. He just tucked the bigger man into bed and gently set the book aside on the bedside table. After the lamp was turned off, feeling exceptionally brave, Dwalin wrapped his arms around Ori's waist and burried his face into the younger man's shoulder.

    "Sorry for being so busy, over the past two weeks, you know. I was hoping that I could get this finished and give it to you for Christmas,"Ori muttered.

    Dwalin made some muffled gurgling noise under the cover. Ori chuckled and patted the man's back softly until he finally relaxed.

    Perhaps it was because that they were in the dark, the veteran did not hesitate to return the soft peck on his lips. He could feel Ori smiling as smaller hands found their way to the back of his neck and held him there firmly like a promise.

 

    "Merry Christmas, Dwalin,"

 

    x----x

 

    "My beer?"Nori raised his eyebrow at Dwalin when Ori squealed in delight at the sight of the present from the veteran. He held the Hobbit chess set tightly before asking Dwalin how exactly did he know that he's been wanting this for so long with his hazel eyes shining.

    "Thought you'd like this better," the veteran passed a package to the man with the star-shaped hair before turning his attention back to an overexcited Ori.

    Dori tutted at the the countent in the box while Nori cradled the bottle of wine with a broad grin. Dwalin trusted that it's good stuff. Balin probably doesn't even _remember_ the bottle he left in Dwalin's care some time ago. It's not like he really needed that particular one, either.

   

   Knowing glances were shot at his way as everyone gathered around the Christmas tree opening their presents. But Dwalin didn't mind. Not with Ori happily seated between his legs anyway.

 


	10. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can't believe this is actually coming to an end!
> 
> Sheeijan gave me the wonderful idea of how Bilbo ended up with Ori. Too bad I didn't put it there somewhere in the story. So some hints in the epilogue instead:)

    "Dwalin grab Bilbo! I'll go find the suit!"Ori yelled before running frantically to the other side of the garden,"We can't send him up nude!"

    Dwalin was sure that Bilbo had taken this as some sort of game. Especially when the Corgi stopped running pathetically when the veteran bend down to rub his legs. Bilbo took off once again, skipping away vigorously after he made sure that Dwalin was well enough to "keep up".

    And vanished out of sight within a second later.

    Dwalin still didn't get it. Radagast had promised that the Velcros would keep any dog wearing the suit _in_ it, especially one as tiny as Bilbo. He wonder if they could go ask for a refund. But really, how exactly did Bilbo accomplished such a feat? The veteran would have been most impressed had Ori not been currently searching for the Corgi's clothes, so nervous that he forgot that it is, in fact, perfectly acceptable for Corgis to stay naked.

    Unfortunately, after they finally found Bilbo, the music was already playing and they had no choice but to send the Corgi trotting towards the couple with nothing but the tiny bowtie and the ring-bearing cushion. One hand holding the discarded suit, Dwalin had to squeeze Ori's hand soothingly when the smaller man winced as Bilbo nearly bumped straight into Bofur's leg. He let out an audible sigh, either from joy or from relief, as Nori and Bofur finished their vows and kissed each other tenderly on the lips.

    The garden party afterwards flowed smoothly. Ori went slightly red in the face when Bofur complimented on Bilbo's good job as a ring-bearing dog. Nori laughed and hugged his brother, telling him that a Corgi fit for the Queen of England couldn't have messed it up.

    "The Queen of England?"Ori repeated, Nori just grinned and dragged Bofur away to greet some of their friends.

    "Why does that suddenly sound so unsettling to me?"the smaller man turned to Dwalin as he watched Bilbo pounced onto the Husky, the latter dutifully dropped "dead" to the ground. Bilbo had been addicted to the game ever since Nori gave him the idea. And since nobody else could feign death so perfectly and drop to the ground as quickly as Thorin(not to mention the patience of a _saint_ ), the job to keep the Corgi entertained had naturally fallen onto him. Ori had been worried at first, but once he realized that the Husky actually enjoyed hitting the ground, like, five times a day, there was really little point to put a stop to it.

    Dwalin just squeezed Ori's hand again. To be honest, the way Nori wiggled his eyebrows simply suggested that there's more than likely some story behind Bilbo's origins. The sort of information that's confidential and promises anybody who came across it a very, _very_ nasty end.

    He couldn't help shuddering slightly even though the weather was nice and warm. It's just typical Nori. Yes, that must be it. He'll just have to get used to it if he were ever actually putting what had been on his mind for so long into action.......

    "Maybe we should hold a wedding for Bilbo and Thorin!"Ori suddenly piped in, "You know, we can invite all their friends over and have a nice little party. Dain can bring Dis, Kili, and Fili with him. And Mr. Halfelven could bring Elrohir and Elladen."

    "Mr. Halfelven?"

    "The man upstairs with the two beagles, remember?"

    Dwalin nodded, until a very bad idea hit him,"And what about Bard?"

    Ori's face scrunched almost comically, an expression that looked not unlike Bilbo when the Corgi had not enough food, also something that Dwalin had found absolutely endearing. The smaller man seemed torn, most likely thinking about the cushions with their inside out and how his lovely apartment was turned into something like a war zone before his brother-in-law finally came back with his sun-tanned skin, looking totally laid-back with a straw hat. But because Ori was, well, Ori, the smaller man eventually nodded and continued listing who else they should invite to Bilbo and Thorin's wedding.

    Dwalin instantly had a feeling that Thorin was going to hate the wedding. Still, knowing how much Ori had enjoyed planning his brother's big day, from the flowers to the cake to finding just the right place,  nodded encouragingly at the smaller man. Bofur will just have to pay for the damage afterwards. Besides, Ori really liked his new TV.

   

    However, speaking of weddings, Dwalin's mind wandered once again to the tiny velvet box sitting in on his bedside table. He was nervous(also the reason why the box had been sitting there for nearly a month) even though there really was no reason to be. At least that was what Gloin, whose wife had turned him down three times, told him.  He'll just have to find his courage, preferably sooner than later.......

 

    x----x

 

    Thorin bared his teeth when he realized that he had been cornered by the two men before him. He let out a guttural growl as his muscle tensed, ready to strike at any moment.

    "Why did those two have to get _Thorin_ to bear the ring? Why can't they just have Bilbo do it?"

    "I think it was Ori's idea,"Bofur shrugged at his husband's scowl, secretly enjoying the show.

    The Husky snarled again.

     "I give up,"finally, Nori threw his hands up and effectively dropped the Husky-sized suit onto the lawn,"At least he's got the bowtie on. Get Dori to do this because I am _not_ even going to _try_ to wrestle this 50-pound bastard with razor-sharp teeth into his suit. Losing your hand on your little brother's wedding day is just _not_ worth it."

    They ended up sending Thorin to the couple with the rings and the bowtie only. Dwalin lifted his eyebrow pointedly at his brother-in-law to-be, Nori pointedly ignored him and focused on Ori instead.

    His brother surely looked handsome in that suit.

    Bofur sighed dreamily as the celebrant announced Dwalin and Ori wedded. His husband automatically wrapped his arm around his shoulder.

    "Are you free next Friday?"

    "Hmm?"

    "Ori asked me if we could help Dwalin move,"Bofur explained.

    "I thought Dwalin said he did not have much?"

    "Well, yes, but Ori said he wouldn't let him carry anything heavy. I think he's worried that Dwalin will work himself to death."

    "Alright, I'll change my schedule a bit next week."

    "Oh, and Ori wanted me to tell you that the shovel talk really was unnecessary. I have to say that he's got a point. I mean, we've both seen Dwalin looking dazed when Ori simply _smiled_ at him."

    Nori snorted,"We'll see."

    "They'll be _fine_. Ori can take care of himself."

    "I _know_."

    "Then what are you worrying about? Stop being a douchebag and let's go congratulate the grooms, shan't we?"

    "Who did you just called a douchebag again?"

    Bofur just ran away laughing with his husband chasing behind.

   

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we are DONE!!
> 
> My first fic ever, first time for me to write something so long! I am so lucky to have so many people commenting and encouraging me to update this.
> 
> Especially Akua, who had given me all those amazing ideas. This fic couldn't have been done without her. Dwalin would have been stuck pining for Ori and everybody would be so bored staying in Ori's flat without the beach scene and the pet store. Seriously, Akua's just awesome:)
> 
> And thanks for everyone who had stuck with me reading this fic. It is just great to know that there's actually somebody waiting to read what you've wrote. 
> 
> Now, for the very last time in this fic, please tell me what you think:-)


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